1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring apparatus which is used by an exerciser to measure his or her physical data such as heart rates and to obtain objective physical-strength evaluation data based on the measured physical data.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus are known which measures heart rates of an exerciser to advise him (or her) how much his (or her) physical strength has been improved. Further, apparatus are known which advises as to the difficulty of exercise performed by the exerciser. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,639 discloses a device which measures a heart rate of an exerciser immediately after the exerciser has performed an exercise, and indicates in percent a ratio of the measured heart rate to a predetermined heart rate. In the case where the exerciser performs a similar exercise, his heart rate will go down as his physical strength is improved. Therefore, decrease of the above ratio expressed in percent shows that his physical strength has been improved.
Further, in published European Patent Application No. 0556702 is disclosed a device that calculates difficulty of exercise performed by the exerciser from a measured heart rate and age data of the exerciser. The device measures a heart rate of the exerciser, calculates a ratio of the measured heart rate to a reference heart rate that is equivalent to a difference between 220 and an age of the exerciser, and indicates the calculated ratio in percent as hardness of exercise performed by the exerciser.
When the exerciser performs a similar exercise, measured heart rate decreases as his physical strength is improved. The device shows that difficulty of exercise expressed in the calculated ratio in percent decreases, and his physical strength has been improved.
The exerciser can learn time-sequentially whether his physical strength has been improved or not with the use of these devices. In these devices, however, the exerciser can not compare his physical strength with a reference physical strength. In other words, if the exerciser is, for example, 20 years old, the exerciser can not learn with the use of these devices, whether his measured physical strength is higher than the reference physical strength of a man of 20 years old.